Synopsis

Akira Nikaido is a typical slacker high school student who thinks he has a normal life until a mysterious man called Shirogane appears and tells him to meet him at the school that night. He is skeptical but goes anyway...and gets attacked by a shadow monster! Shirogane convinces him that the balance between the human world and the shadow world has been distorted, and that Akira must become a shin, a creature of the shadow world, in order to help restore the balance.

Monochrome Factor had a slow beginning, I think up to volume two; you're still a bit lost but after that you get a steady hold of what is going on.

The story was thoroughly thought about; I liked the fact that although it's another story about a highschool student with special powers, the author tries to give reasons that the main character really NEEDS to have those powers because of so and so. On the other hand, now that I think about it, the Manga had no twists whatsoever. When you start reading it, your guesses of what would happen are confirmed throughout the story, you could say it had a linear plot.

I've noticed that the author has a gift of making you attached to characters, a saving grace, because there are a lot of new characters that pop up and if this was just another story about a highschool student with special powers then those new characters would get on your nerves but this isn't JUST one of those stories, this story has a solid foundation, the author actually thought this out.

They gives reasons, good ones, that yes it is a bit annoying to have new characters but they are NEEDED.

So, I give the writer a lot of credit.

But, unfortunately it had a messy ending, it was like the story was being strangled to end {death} so, the ending definitely needs work

But alright, it's a Buddhist-y Manga, that has concepts such as reincarnation and the like. Okay. Then why, pray tell, are the illustrations littered with crosses? And that some buildings look like churches? Someone help me out here. If it's a Buddhist-y story then stick with the Buddhist theme instead of trying to advertise, yes advertise (honestly, that's what it looks like,) Christianity.

Maybe they're doing this to attract Christian readers?

The motive fails to be made obvious in these circumstances.

The art was nice; nothing more, nothing less. However, because there is so much effort being put into the story, I think you could give a little leeway for the art, it's not bad but not great, it's okay. You won't see highly detailed, well, anything but if you don't think too much about it, you won't be too disappointed.

Overall, I generally enjoyed it. It wasn't a pearl in the sea however it wasn't bad, I think you'll enjoy it maybe a bit more than me because I am a BIT picky.read more

Character: 9
Reminds me a lot of naruto, or atleast with the characters.
You have Shurogane (kakashi), Homurabi (orochimaru), Akira (sasuke), Aya (sakura), and Kengo (naruto). The characters seem a bit shallow and stereotyped, without the amount of in-depth experience I would expect from something like.....Pandora Hearts, for instance.

Story: 9
Original, but it skips a bit, with minimal backstory and lack of emphasis.